Godswill Akpabio

On Friday, February 28, Kogi Central Senator Natasha Akpoti-Uduaghan, who has been vocal about her alleged unfair treatment in the Senate, left us all in shock when she accused Senate President Godswill Akpabio of sexually harassing her.

Many concerned Nigerians have been waiting to hear Akpabio’s side of the story since then, but the senate president didn’t debunk Natasha’s claims till Wednesday, March 5.

From defamation lawsuits to calls for apologies, here’s a timeline of all the major events that have raised questions about the Senate’s approach towards Natasha’s claims since the news became public.

February 28: Senator Ireti Dismisses Natasha’s claims

Senator Ireti Kingibe has weighed on the controversy surrounding Senator Natasha sexual harassment allegations against Akpabio, denying any direct knowledge of misconduct. In an interview with ARISE NEWS, Kingibe stated that neither she nor the other female senators had experienced harassment, adding that Akpoti-Uduaghan “never discussed it with us.”

Kingibe also claimed that Akpoti-Uduaghan had received more privileges than the other female senators, saying, “To be honest, Senator Natasha has gotten the most privilege of all the four of us.” Defending Akpabio’s leadership, Kingibe noted that while the Senate is “not gender-friendly,” she has seen improvements. She also expressed disappointment that Akpoti-Uduaghan ignored her calls after the incident, claiming she even reached out to her husband, who said she was in Singapore.

March 1: Defamation suit against Natasha by Akpabio’s wife

Senate President Godswill Akpabio’s wife, Ekaette Akpabio, sued Senator Natasha Akpoti-Uduaghan for defamation over her sexual harassment claims against her husband.

She filed two lawsuits at the Federal High Court in Abuja, demanding ₦350 billion in damages, arguing that the allegations have harmed her family’s reputation and caused them emotional distress. Mrs Akpabio also wants the court to declare Natasha’s claims defamatory, stop her from making further statements, and force her to issue a public apology in national newspapers.

March 4: CAN speaks against calls for Akpabio’s resignation

The Christian Association of Nigeria (CAN) has called for caution in handling the sexual harassment allegations against Akpabio. While some Nigerians are calling for his resignation, CAN argues that it is too soon to take such action without concrete evidence.

Reverend Joseph Hayab, the chairman of CAN in Northern Nigeria, described the situation as unfortunate and called for respected elders to intervene. He warned against taking sides and stressed the need for a responsible and peaceful resolution. CAN also urged the media to avoid sensationalism and advised lawmakers to focus on more pressing national issues.

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March 4: Call for an independent investigation into Natasha’s claims

On Tuesday, March 4, a women’s rights group, Voices for Inclusion and Equity for Women (VIEW), called for Senate President Godswill Akpabio to step down so an independent investigation can be carried out on Senator Natasha Akpoti-Uduaghan’s sexual harassment allegations.

The group accused the Senate of sidelining female lawmakers and warned that ignoring Natasha’s claims would only encourage more abuse of power. They also pointed out that this isn’t the first time Akpabio has faced such accusations and urged the Senate to take them seriously. VIEW demanded fair treatment for Natasha and called for changes to Senate rules to protect female lawmakers.

March 5: Call for an apology from Akpabio supporters

On March 5, a group of women gathered at the National Assembly to protest against Natasha’s sexual harassment claims and “serial blackmailing”, claiming that Akpabio treated her like a daughter and friend. They also demanded that Natasha apologize to the senate president for making those allegations.

March 5: Allegation dismissal from Senator Imasuen

Senator Neda Imasuen, who chairs the Senate Committee on Ethics (the committee in charge of investigating Senator Natasha Akpoti-Uduaghan’s claims), also dismissed her allegations of sexual harassment against Senate President Godswill Akpabio. In an interview on March 5, Imasuen insisted no female senator had complained of misconduct and suggested that Senator Natasha misinterpreted any perceived familiarity in the Senate.

March 5: Resistance to Natasha’s sexual harassment petition in the Senate

Senator Natasha Akpoti-Uduaghan tried to submit a petition accusing Senate President Godswill Akpabio of sexual harassment on March 5, but other senators shut it down. While Akpabio initially allowed her to speak, Senate leaders quickly objected, claiming the issue was already in court—a claim Natasha denied. A heated argument broke out, and the Senate went into a closed session. When they returned, they moved on without addressing her petition, leading Natasha to leave the Senate building.

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Three significant events stood out this week in Nigeria. Depending on how you look at them, they elicited reactions ranging from sheer outrage to ineffable joy. For Navigating Nigeria, we’ll take you through the rollercoaster moments that made this week memorable as July comes to a close.

Our journey begins in Nigeria’s Red Chamber, the Senate.

Akpabio’s gaffe

While Nigeria’s Senate President, Godswill Akpabio, may have reached the apex of his political career, it seems he is still looking to outdo himself by how deep in trouble he can put himself in. We haven’t forgotten his public confession when as the Minister of the Niger Delta, he fingered members of the House of Representatives (HOR) whom he claimed benefitted from some lucrative contracts. It took the intervention of one of them on live TV to beg Akpabio to “off his mic” to stop him from incriminating everyone.

Akpabio, described as an “uncommon” senator, has promised to run an uncommon Senate. As he’s learning rather quickly, uncommon can become unpopular in a jiffy. In a viral video from a plenary session during the week, Akpabio asked the Senate to vote on a prayer to “let the poor breathe”. The manner of delivery, which appeared to be mocking, didn’t sit well with Nigerians. They lashed out at the uncommon senator.

The office of the Senate President had to issue a press release. It clarified that it was a “harmless statement” based on a motion moved by another senator to halt the electricity tariff hike.

Nigerians aren’t smiling during this period. The last thing they need is a legislature that makes fun of their plight. Let’s hope Akpabio has learned his lesson.

Tinubu’s ministerial list

President Tinubu’s ministerial list finally reached the public and was met with mixed reactions. Early observations indicated that the list had just 28 names. The names were also weighted in favour of career politicians ahead of technocrats. No portfolios were attached to them either, which is unusual. Tinubu’s Chief of Staff, Femi Gbajabiamila, said it was intentional. Here’s how he explained it to the press:

“So many of these things have merits and demerits, advantages and disadvantages. I like the idea of attaching portfolios. I do because it makes it necessary for the Senate to know exactly what you’re asking and looking for.

But for now, it’s been thought wise that we stick to the tradition of sending the names and then, while the screening processes are going on, allow Mr. President and his team to look at the portfolios and the characters and see how they fit.

The first step that he has done is that these people can work wherever you put them. Except in specialized fields like attorney general and what have you. But in the main time, he believes most of them can fit in anywhere.”

Constitutional lawyer, Festus Ogun, isn’t having any of that.

The Senate plans to begin screening on Monday. It’ll be curious to observe how that plays out.

Download the Citizen Election Report: Navigating Nigeria’s Political Journey

All hail the Super Falcons

[Osinachi Ohale and Onome Ebi celebrate at the full-time whistle. Photograph: Bradley Kanaris/Getty Images]

By the time you read this, at least two days will have elapsed since the events of that heroic night on July 27 in Brisbane, Australia. Nigeria’s female national team, the Super Falcons, beat Australia with a 3-2 score at the ongoing FIFA Women’s World Cup.

Football unites Nigerians more than anything, and for those 100+ minutes of that engaging contest, Nigerians went through all the motions together.

The match stats tell an exciting story.

For the most part, the Australians had control of the ball and dominated early proceedings. Nigeria, which had a solid defense for most of the game, conceded first in the 45th minute. The atmosphere was rapturous, and it looked like we would head into half-time with a loss. But the antifragile Super Falcons had different ideas.

In what was effectively the last kick of the first half after 5 minutes of added time, Uchenna Kanu scored a wonderful goal—a combination of good play and a fortuitous deflection. Cue the reactions from Nigerians halfway across the world.

The moment the Super Falcons scored the equalizer 😅 pic.twitter.com/Iyflc5guRd
— Sugar (@temii_ajao) July 27, 2023

1-1, halftime.

By the second half, our ladies were amped. In the 65th minute, our star striker, Asisat Oshoala, was introduced to the pitch. You could hear the palpable silence in the stadium, almost as if the Australians could foretell the pain that was to come.

Osinachi Ohale put us ahead a minute later, despite getting a heavy knock in the process.

2-1, Nigeria.

Oshoala tormented the Australian backline and got her reward in the 72nd minute after a mixup in the Australian defense allowed her to score a brilliant goal from a wide angle. Taking off her shirt in celebration may have earned her a yellow card, but the iconic celebration will live long in the memory of Nigerians.

3-1, Nigeria.

[Asisat Oshoala of Nigeria celebrates after scoring her team’s third goal. (Photo by Justin Setterfield/Getty Images)]

Her goal made her the first African woman to score at three World Cups. She previously scored in 2019 and 2015. And while the Australians managed to pull one back deep into stoppage time, Nigeria, led by coach Randy Waldrum, emerged triumphant with three goals and three points.

3:2, Nigeria. FT.

The result leaves us at the top of the table and in a good position to make the next round. A draw in our last game against already-eliminated Ireland would be enough. This is remarkable, given the team’s issues leading up to the showpiece.

Allegations of misappropriation, delayed payments, and a war of words between Waldrum and the Nigerian Football Federation (NFF) led many to fear the worst. But after a resilient showing against Olympic champion Canada, where we earned a point, there was some hope that the girls might be up to something, and they delivered in fine fashion.

Whatever they do going forward, the Super Falcons deserve our utmost respect for acting professionally and bringing joy to the faces of millions of Nigerians. As always, we will be cheering them on and hope they have fun doing what they do best.

Nigeria’s next match is on Monday, July 31, at 11 a.m.
Here’s how politics generally works. A seat is up for grabs. Different candidates contest that seat. This process involves campaigning, lobbying, media appearances, endorsements, promises, and, of course, money. A political campaign, be it for newbies or career politicians, involves telling people about your past achievements and why it’d make a fine precursor for the goodies you have for them should they elect you to office. Naturally, not everyone will buy your story—you’re in a contest, after all.

Here’s how politics works if you’re Godswill Akpabio. You’re a lawyer and former two-term governor of one of Nigeria’s oil-rich states, Akwa Ibom. Despite raising controversy by decamping from the party that brought you into politics, you’ve done well for yourself and are now a serving senator. But you’re not content with just that. You want to be Senate President, and now you find yourself in a stiff contest as other politicians are eyeing that juicy position. So what do you do?

You get endorsements from former colleagues

While Akpabio hasn’t officially declared for the seat yet, the Cable reported earlier in May that Akpabio received endorsements for Senate President from 72 ex-senators. The outgoing governor of Kano State, Abdullahi Ganduje, also said it was a settled matter. His words:

“The senate president of the Federal Republic of Nigeria will come from the south-south, and it is no other person than the former governor of Akwa Ibom. The uncommon governor is the uncommon minister who will be the uncommon president of the Senate. So we have resolved that.

I am giving you assurance. We are waiting for the D-Day that he will be the senate president of Nigeria.”

If you’re Akpabio, that should be job done then, right? Not quite. Akpabio, more than anyone, knows how slippery Nigerian politics is. He was in the Senate when Bukola Saraki engineered an audacious coup that saw him emerge, against all expectations, as the eighth Senate President. Besides, he won’t be swayed by the assurance of Ganduje, who boasted about winning Kano State for Bola Ahmed Tinubu only to fall flat on his face.

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Lobby from outside your party

Akpabio has reached out across party lines to get support for his Senate Presidency ambition. On May 18, Vanguard reported that Akpabio held meetings with the leadership of the Labour Party (LP) and the New Nigeria Peoples Party (NNPP). The LP has eight senators, while the NNPP has two. The PDP, which he decamped from, has the second-highest number of senators, with 36.

Overall, the Nigerian Senate has 109 senators. Out of that number, the APC has 59 senators. To win, you need to earn the highest number of votes. However, because Akpabio faces competition from within his party, he can’t rely on just his party’s votes. This explains his intense lobbying.

Ask Nigerians to forgive and forget your recent past

Akpabio’s most recent gig was his appointment as Minister for Niger Delta Affairs between 2019 and 2022, when he resigned in his failed bid to run for president. Akpabio, however, doesn’t have fond memories of his time as minister. He wants Nigerians not to judge him based on his performance there. His words:

“I do know that I have not changed in any way. God has given me the opportunity to be an uncommon transformer wherever I go. I will not like to be judged by ministerial appointment for Niger Delta, which everybody knows is a problematic place. But I would like to be judged by my record as a lawyer of 36 years, commissioner of six years and a governor of eight years.”

Who will tell Akpabio that that’s not how politics works? And why do Nigerian politicians think they can wave a wand and expect us to forget their misdeeds? It’s giving Buhari, who wants Nigerians to remember him fondly while turning a blind eye to his failures in governance, security, and the economy.

In July 2020, Akpabio appeared before the House of Representatives Committee on Niger Delta in a forensic audit hearing of ₦‎81.5bn spent by his ministry. He was accused of misappropriating the funds. Akpabio, in his defence, said most of the people who benefitted from contracts from his ministry were National Assembly members. As soon as that revelation was made, a committee member interjected and told Akpabio on live TV to “off your mic.”

This is Nigeria anyway, so there’s no prize for guessing how that has played out. Ultimately, it’s in the public interest to know about the person who might become the number three man in Nigeria. And against the recommendation of Nigerian politicians, we won’t “off our mic” just like that on Akpabio’s past.
There are clear favourites who are expected to win the tickets of the two main parties: the All Progressives Congress (APC) and the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP). This is not an article about them.

Thanks to 2023 presidential elections, the game of musical chairs for Nigeria’s presidential seat is reaching a fever pitch. Dozens of aspirants have been travelling all over the country promising heaven and earth if they’re elected.

To make it to the big stage for the main election in February 2023, these aspirants first have to win the tickets of their parties.

This is a look at the aspirants who would need to fast 40 days and 40 nights to beat the favourites to the tickets of the APC and PDP.

Emeka Nwajiuba, 54

Emeka Nwajiuba believes in his presidential aspiration so much that he was eager to resign from Buhari’s cabinet as the Minister of State for Education. Despite his eagerness, he remains only a dark horse in the race for the APC’s ticket even though he has a decent track record in politics. He has previously served as a lawmaker in the Federal House of Representatives between 1999 and 2003. Nwajiuba also participated in the Imo State governorship election in 2003, 2007 and 2011. He won an election to return to the House in 2019, but he left that position to become a minister.

Mohammed Hayatu-Deen, 68

Mohammed Hayatu-Deen was one of the first aspirants to jump into the presidential queue with his eyes on the PDP ticket. The economist commands decades of experience across multiple Nigerian industries and has worn many hats. His campaign rests on economic and social reform, insecurity, health and Nigerian youths. But he’s going to need more than a campaign website to win the ticket.

Yahaya Bello, 46

The governor of Kogi State, Yahaya Bello, is one of the youngest aspirants involved in the preliminary stages of the presidential election. He’s been shouting about his ambition from the rooftops long before most of the frontrunners were even in the picture. The governor is adamant that only a young president can take Nigeria into the future that many citizens want to see. His campaign hasn’t reflected much of that and it’d take a miracle to see him end up with the APC’s ticket.

Anyim Pius Anyim, 61

Anyim Pius Anyim is a former Senate President who’s also currently eyeing Nigeria’s top seat via the PDP. He served as the Secretary to the Government of the Federation (SGF) between 2011 and 2015. He once unsuccessfully contested to become the party’s chairman but is revered as an elder statesman in the PDP. He’s going to need more than that respect to nick the ticket from the party’s frontrunners.

Adams Oshiomhole, 70

Oshiomhole used to be a fearsome labour union leader and was the president of the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) between 1999 and 2007. He moved on to become Edo State governor in 2008 and served two terms until he left office in 2016. Oshiomhole was then elected the APC’s national chairman in 2018 until he was forced out of his position in 2020 following internal party issues. As a former party chairman, Oshiomhole would typically be considered a frontrunner for the presidential ticket, but even he’s not that confident of victory. He’s contesting for president and a seat in the Senate at the same time and filled nomination forms for both. He doesn’t just want to eat his cake and have it; he wants to throw a party with it.

ALSO READ: The Aspirants Fighting to Become Nigeria’s First Female President

Dele Momodu, 62

Dele Momodu is widely known as the CEO and publisher of the Ovation International magazine. He worked with the Moshood Abiola Presidential Campaign Organisation in 1993 and invited trouble from the then military government. He fled Nigeria following political persecution from General Sani Abacha and didn’t return to the country until after the death of the dictator. Momodu was the candidate of the National Conscience Party (NCP) for the 2011 presidential election and finished with less than 27,000 votes. He’ll need better luck and a truckload of prayers to win the PDP’s ticket for the 2023 presidential election.

Godswill Akpabio, 59

Godswill Akpabio is another aspirant that resigned from Buhari’s cabinet in a bid to become the guy that takes over his seat in 2023. He was the Minister of Niger Delta Affairs from 2019 before his resignation in May 2022. Before that, he’d been a senator between 2015 and 2019 and governor of Akwa Ibom State between 2007 and 2015. Before he became a governor, he’d served as a commissioner in the Akwa Ibom State cabinet between 2002 and 2006. But he doesn’t have the political momentum that other favourites do.

Bala Mohammed, 63

Bala Mohammed was a senator between 2007 and 2010 before he was appointed the Minister of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) and stayed in the role for five years. He’s the current governor of Bauchi State. Having served only one term as governor, you kind of get the feeling he’s only running for president to sound out his name and not necessarily to win the PDP’s ticket.

Tunde Bakare, 67

Tunde Bakare is one of those aspirants who’s always teasing their intention to run for the presidency every three market days. He was the running mate to Buhari in the 2011 presidential election that was won by Goodluck Jonathan. Now he believes he has divine clearance from God and is confident he’ll be the one taking over from Buhari in 2023. He just needs to grab that APC ticket first. No pressure.

Ayo Fayose, 61

Ayo Fayose is one of the most combative aspirants in the crowded field of presidential hopefuls. He was first elected the governor of Ekiti State in 2003 but was impeached in 2006. Fayose made a comeback and was re-elected for a second term as governor in 2014. He wasn’t impeached this time around, but he made a transition from the Government House to the custody of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) the day his tenure expired in 2018. That’s how this image happened.

No one expects that Fayose ends up with the PDP’s ticket, but nothing’s ever boring with the guy so, now we wait.

ALSO READ: How Much Are Nigerian Parties Charging Aspirants to Run for Office?